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Playbook · 6 steps

Location Request Message

Also called: Send location button · location_request_message · Request location message · Ask for location

6steps

Level
Practitioner
Reading time
About 6 min

Reviewed

Definition
An interactive WhatsApp message with a Send location button that asks the user to share where they are, returning their pin as a reply.

01 · How it works, in 6 steps

How does a location request message work?

  1. 1

    Pick the moment

    Ask when the location is about to be used: right after a COD Confirmation, before dispatch, or when a rider cannot find the building. The window must be open, which it is just after the customer has replied.

  2. 2

    Write a clear ask

    Say why you need the location and what happens next in one or two sentences, and mention the alternative: "Prefer to type it? Just reply with your address."

  3. 3

    Send the request and keep its WAMID

    POST the location_request_message to /{PHONE_NUMBER_ID}/messages and store the returned WAMID against the order, so the reply can be matched later.

  4. 4

    Match the shared pin

    When a type: location message arrives, look up context.id. If it is missing because the customer shared from the attach menu instead, fall back to the latest open request for that WhatsApp ID.

  5. 5

    Validate and confirm

    Range-check the coordinates, test them against your delivery zone, save them to the order and reply with a confirmation naming the area, so a wrong pin is caught at once.

  6. 6

    Fall back gracefully

    If no pin arrives, or the customer types instead, accept the typed address or offer an address message. Follow up once, not repeatedly.

02Try it

Hands-on: use the controls to work through it yourself.

Ask for a pin, get a pin

6 / 6
Woodcraft Store, JaipurBusiness account

Today

  1. Woodcraft Store, Jaipur: COD order #JP-5521Your 3-seater sofa (cash on delivery) is ready to ship. Please confirm the order.Confirm orderCancel order10:30Read
  2. Customer: Confirm order10:31
  3. Woodcraft Store, Jaipur: Thanks! Please share your delivery location so our van can find you. Prefer to type it? Just reply with your address.10:32ReadSend location
  4. Customer: Shared locationMalviya Nagar, Jaipur 30201710:33
  5. Woodcraft Store, Jaipur: Got it: Malviya Nagar. Delivery on Saturday, 10 am to 1 pm. The driver will call 30 minutes before.10:34DeliveredCustomer reacted 👍

Message 6 of 6

CustomerReaction

An emoji reaction pinned to an earlier message — it does not add a new bubble.

A COD confirmation opens the window, the store sends a location request, and the customer's shared pin comes back tied to the order. Step through to see what is sent and what returns.

Message 6 of 6: Customer, Reaction. An emoji reaction pinned to an earlier message — it does not add a new bubble.

03What is a location request message?

A location request message is an Interactive Message that asks the customer to share where they are. It shows your body text and a single Send location button; tapping the button opens WhatsApp's location-sharing screen, where the customer can send their current position or pick a place. Whatever they share comes back to your webhook as a normal location pin.

On the WhatsApp Cloud API it is a send with type: interactive, interactive.type set to location_request_message, a required body.text of up to 1,024 characters (URLs allowed) and an action of {"name": "send_location"}. Meta's syntax has no header, footer or custom button label. When the customer shares, the Messages Webhook delivers a message of type: location with latitude and longitude, a name and address only if they chose to include them, and a context object whose id is the WAMID of your request. That context.id, the same field a Contextual Reply uses, is how you tie the pin to the right order, visit or ticket.

It is the asking half of a pair: a Location Message is the pin itself, sent by either side. It also differs from an Address Message, which opens a structured form for a typed delivery address and is limited to businesses in India messaging customers in India. Because it is free-form, a location request needs an open 24-hour customer service window; for business-initiated asks, Meta documents location request templates in the utility category.

Key takeaways

  • A location request message shows body text and a Send location button that opens the customer's location sharer.
  • Send it with interactive.type: location_request_message and action.name: send_location; the body takes up to 1,024 characters.
  • The answer arrives as an ordinary type: location message whose context.id is the WAMID of your request.
  • It is a free-form service message that needs an open 24-hour window; Meta also documents a utility template version.
  • Sharing is the customer's choice, so always offer a typed-address fallback.

04 · In code

A location request message in code

curl -X POST "https://graph.facebook.com/v26.0/{PHONE_NUMBER_ID}/messages" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer {ACCESS_TOKEN}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
    "recipient_type": "individual",
    "to": "919812345678",
    "type": "interactive",
    "interactive": {
      "type": "location_request_message",
      "body": {
        "text": "Please share your delivery location so our van can find you. Prefer to type it? Just reply with your address."
      },
      "action": { "name": "send_location" }
    }
  }'

Body text and the fixed send_location action: no header, footer or custom button label.

05Example: COD deliveries for a Jaipur furniture store

A Jaipur furniture store confirms cash-on-delivery orders on WhatsApp. When a customer taps Confirm order on the COD confirmation template, the 24-hour window opens, so the bot immediately sends a location request: "Please share your delivery location so our van can find you. Prefer to type it? Just reply with your address." The pin arrives with a context.id matching the request; the order system checks it falls inside the Jaipur delivery zone, saves it to the order and replies, "Got it: Malviya Nagar. Delivery on Saturday, 10 am to 1 pm." On delivery day the driver navigates straight to the pin.

06 · Mistakes to avoid

Common mistakes with a location request message

  • Sending it cold

    A free-form location request outside the customer service window fails with a re-engagement error. Ask right after the customer replies, or use a utility location request template.

  • Not linking the reply to the request

    Without the request's WAMID stored against the order, a customer with two open orders leaves you guessing. Save the WAMID at send time and match on context.id.

  • Assuming the pin is the delivery address

    A customer at work may share the office. Reply with the area you received and ask them to correct it if needed, or confirm with a quick-reply question.

  • No fallback

    Some customers will not share their location, and some type the address instead. Accept a typed address, and offer an address message when you need structured fields.

  • Asking too early or too often

    Requesting location at the start of every chat feels intrusive and trains customers to ignore it. Ask once, at the step that actually needs it.

07 · Key facts

A location request message: key facts and limits

interactive.type
location_request_message
Action
{ "name": "send_location" }
Body
Required, up to 1,024 characters, URLs allowed
Header, footer, label
Not part of Meta's syntax
Reply
type: location message, context.id = your request's WAMID
Optional in reply
name and address, only if the customer includes them
When
Inside the 24-hour window; utility template version for business-initiated asks

08 · Pro tips

Best practices for a location request message

  • Say who will see the location and why ("so our driver can find you") in the body text.
  • Name the area back to the customer so a wrong pin is corrected before dispatch.
  • Keep coordinates only as long as the delivery or visit needs them, in line with the DPDP Act.
  • Store the shared pin with the order so the rider's app can open navigation directly.

09 · Why it matters

Why does a location request message matter?

Vague or wrong addresses are among the costliest failures in Indian e-commerce and home services: a failed cash-on-delivery attempt, a technician circling a colony, a van at the wrong gate. Asking for a pin at the right moment, in the same chat where the order lives, gives the rider or field agent coordinates they can navigate to and turns a long conversation about landmarks into one tap.

10Location Request Message FAQs

What does a WhatsApp location request message look like?+
Your body text with a single Send location button underneath. Tapping it opens WhatsApp's location-sharing screen, where the customer sends their current location or picks a place.
How do I know which request a shared location answers?+
Check `context.id` on the inbound location message: it is the WAMID of your location request. Store that WAMID against the order when you send, and fall back to the latest open request when `context` is missing.
Can I send a location request outside the 24-hour window?+
Not as a free-form interactive message. Meta documents location request templates in the utility category for business-initiated asks; otherwise wait until the customer replies to a template and the window opens.
What is the difference between a location request and an address message?+
A location request returns a map pin with coordinates. An address message opens a form for a typed postal address (house number, PIN code, city and so on) and is available only to India-based businesses messaging customers in India.
Is the location a customer shares always accurate?+
It is whatever they send: their phone's current position or a place they picked. Accuracy depends on the device, and it may not be the delivery address, so confirm the area back to them.

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